


Keep Them Clean

by AlphieCentauri



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Compliant, Character Study, Fix-It of Sorts, Introspection, Multi, Rebirth, Resurrection, Screw Destiny, Spoilers, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-05
Updated: 2017-05-08
Packaged: 2018-10-28 07:23:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10826529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlphieCentauri/pseuds/AlphieCentauri
Summary: [HEAVY. HEAVY SPOILERS. GOOD GOD DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WANT MAJOR SPOILERS]Akechi Goro does not understand why he's alive. He explicitly recalls how it felt to feel a bullet pierce his temple. He remembers hearing the horrified yells of the Phantom Thieves as he offered what he had for them. It was as close as he could get to redemption, as far as he was concerned. He did not deserve this chance. He knows he doesn't. He's a monster. A killer. A horrific murderer who caused harm for his own selfish gain.And somehow, an old man and a young girl within the heart of his fated antithesis, saw that he that was in need of rehabilitation.





	1. Red Gloves, Blue Room

**Author's Note:**

> OKAY SO HI I GUESS YOU'RE NOT TURNED OFF BY MY SPOILER WARNING AND SUMMARY  
> So to begin all of this, have a disclaimer. Because I know Goro's already become one of those "this character is bad and you are bad for liking him" characters.  
> So here's the disclaimer: **I do not condone the acts of violence that Akechi Goro committed in this game. I do, however, like his character and wanted to write something about him that included a potential redemption arc.** Thank you.
> 
> That being said, I do have some explanation. I am a firm believer of the idea that if we don't see a body, the character isn't dead. We never saw his body, and I have theories. This fic is just one of three I've had. This one edges on most of the plausible ideas I had had, considering the realms of the SMT universe. For those who would like clarification before beginning the fic.
> 
> This story is written under the idea that Goro could be rehabilitated in the Velvet Room in a similar fashion that Akira was. However, in Goro's case, he needs to have his deeds erased and placed upon someone else. And this story is about him resisting going down the same path he was on before.
> 
> So, thank you for reading. I love Akechi Goro's character, even if he's a mess.

He knows more than anything that he doesn’t belong here. He deserves to be locked away but not in a place like this. Not in what he feels to be a sanctuary between life and death. It’s soothing being locked in these walls, and he knows (my god does he know) he doesn’t deserve this charity.

“You’re free to leave your cell whenever you wish,” she says.  
  
Her voice is calming, reassuring and veering on the edge of angelic. Standing in front of the cells bars is a young girl, long, silvery blonde hair hanging neatly over her royal blue dress. Within her arms is a large book with some English scrawled across the cover. She only smiles at him, and his stomach does nothing but twist in knots.

“Why?” he sneers, his honey-brown hair hanging in clumps over his face. He’s been in here for days, perhaps weeks, and his hair’s grown oily from his time spent in this confinement. “Why would I ever let myself step outside again?”

“Because although you have commit a number of grave misdeeds, you are not beyond saving.” She assures him, voice still pleasantly comforting to him. (He will remind himself again and again, he doesn’t deserve her kindness.) “You may have lost this game, though it was rigged in your favor, your loss doesn’t necessarily mean all must come to an end.”

He is Akechi Goro. And as far as the world knows, he’s gone missing. And as far as a small group of teenagers know, he died a rather gruesome death in an act of redemption. He knows what this place is. But it is not to the design of his own heart. Not anymore. He had arrived in this mystic realm known as the Velvet Room just once before. Before, it was a stage. It was a grand stage in front of an audience of blank, but cheering faces. His heart had allowed for the world to manifest as a show he was performing in which he was the hero, and in which he would be the savior of all. A true champion of justice whom was responsible for bringing about peace to mankind. The young savior. A veritable modern Christ. But no longer.  
  
He wasn’t sure how he had survived. He could clearly recall Shido’s cognition of himself firing his weapon. He recalled it piercing his temple and crumpling to the ground. The head does in fact remain alive briefly after death. He recalled staring up at the ceiling, trying with one last attempt to summon one of his Personas. Robin Hood would be the more likely of the two to save him. So why could he not bring him forth? Because only a select few could experience death while remaining capable of channeling their inner power. He was not one of those people. Joker, no. . .Akira, he was. He was capable of such a feat. He was a Trickster, wasn’t he?  
  
Goro was relatively sure that he had died. He experienced it. He knew the pain of it all. He knew the detached peace that came with floating in the nothingness. As it would seem, the human consciousness does continue to live on after the body dies. Was it a soul? Who knows. Was he in Purgatory? Heaven? Hell? Surely Hell would involve Goro being left alone with his thoughts and his grief for all eternity. But. . .if it had truly been Hell, how come he hadn’t been stricken with the ghosts of those whom he’d stepped on to get where he was?  
  
“Where is he?” Goro asks lowly from the edge of the shoddy mattress which he’d been seated on for an undetermined amount of time. “I want to speak with him.”

Her expression falls and she glances back toward the man seated at the wardens desk in the middle of the cell. “I’m afraid he is not here.”

“This is his heart, isn’t it?” Goro raises his voice, almost threatening to stand, but his legs won’t allow him. “This is how he views the Velvet Room, is it not? Where is he?!” He wouldn’t call this fury, but he knows another might. He knows someone would point at his demeanor and call him savage.

“He completed his rehabilitation,” the young girl explains. “He is no longer a guest of the Velvet Room. This Velvet Room is now yours, he left it behind to you, whether it was his intention or not.”

“Didn’t he bring me here?” Goro asks, lowering his voice as he weakly gets to his feet. He is not wearing anything even faintly similar to his usual attire. It’s a uniform. A prisoners uniform. (What he does not know is that his role as an inmate is closer to incarceration than imprisonment. He is clad in orange, a serial number sewn on to a breast pocket. This is closer to solitary confinement than rehabilitation).

“He did not.” She informs him. “You brought yourself here, as it were.”

“I want to go back to _my_ room.” Goro insists, his voice closer to a growl as he stands at the bars, his fingers wrapping tightly around the steel rods. He does not process how tightly he’s gripping and within moments his knuckles are white and his arms are stiff. “Bring Igor here, I want to go to _my_ room.”

“I’m afraid that isn’t possible.” The girl comments softly, the faintest glimpse of worry on her face. “The Velvet Room of your heart was a façade, created by a being that had mimicked the form of my Master. It is my belief that he created a room designed to project what you wished it to be, rather than how you truly perceive yourself. Beneath the layers, I can only believe that like his heart, you too feel your heart is best locked away.”

Her eyes dart to Goro’s hands, and he follows – noting that his arms are growing tense and his palms are hurting. He’s tired, and he releases his grip, sighing softly as he slides to the floor. He sits cross legged, his hands resting in his lap. Goro doesn’t look up at her, he can’t face her. He’s been exposed to too many instances of the truth being used against him, and he doesn’t wish to listen to more. But he knows. He knows he cannot simply continue existing if he doesn’t know more.

He was a pawn. Just like Akira. Both of them were pieces in this seemingly eternal stand off. There were ways that it could have been fruitful for them both. Had he not turned on them. Had he not been aiming for his own selfish gains this entire time. Both pieces would have dropped their weapons in the middle of the board and joined forces. That month he spent among the Phantom Thieves. Although he was using them, a part of him thought for a moment (just a moment) that he was happy like this.

“Why am I alive?” he asks bleakly, staring at the floor. At his bare feet, dirtied from having been unwashed for so long. “I remember being killed. I remember death. The in between. Is this punishment?”

“Not exactly.” She says, crouching down she may be closer to eye level (he does not look up) to him. “Just as we had rehabilitated the Trickster, we can do the same for you.”

“I’m a murderer.” Goro replies lowly, his voice coming out in a heavy, stuttered breath. There is no hesitation to his voice. “I have lost track of the number of people I have destroyed in order to get here.”

“I won’t lie to you, you are indeed a murderer. But considering your circumstances, you are not beyond saving. Your sheer presence here is proof of this. You have not closed your heart off to the possibility of being healed.” Her voice becomes comforting again, and Goro manages to look up.

“Where are Caroline and Justine.”

She smiles. “I am them. And they are me. My name – our name – is Lavenza.” She steps to the side and the bars of the cell slowly creak open. She stands by the door, gesturing for Goro. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m sure you will have some of your questions answered soon enough.”

He hesitates. He has so many questions, but he doesn’t think he even needs to ask them. Lavenza seems to already know what each question may be. She’s cryptic, but not in the way that Goro feels like he isn’t getting anywhere. But cryptic in the sense she knows everything, and will aid him as best she can. She’s patient, and Goro appreciates that. Getting the courage to stand again is just as difficult as it was to make the decision to act as a cleaner for Shido.

“If you leave this cell,” Lavenza says, peering around the cell door. “You are accepting your crimes and your faults. And you are allowing us to take whatever measures we must to redeem your very soul. Can you agree to this?”

He inhales slowly, bleary, exhausted eyes scanning the rest of the Velvet Room. There are many other cells. All closed. All empty. But there is one cell in which he can see to the direct left of his. The door of this cell is open. He has a feeling he knows who resided in there. “Answer me one question first.”

“I intend to answer any and all questions you may have to the best of my ability, you may ask one before you make your decision.” She informs him as she opens the large book that she kept tucked beneath her small arms.

“Am I dead?”

“You were.” She answers quickly. “But my Master and I sought to give you another opportunity. Right now, you are between life and death. And should you accept our offer, we will shuffle the cards of fate to allow you this second chance.”

“I don’t see how that’s possible.”

“If you step out of the cell, I’m sure you will in due time.”

 

Akechi Goro knows he should not have this second chance. But there is something in the universe, not just the workers of the Velvet Room, that think he is deserving of it. He has killed numerous people in order to aid Shido Masayoshi rise in politic ranks. Not for Shido’s sake, but for his own. All he ever wanted was to be noticed for being great. He’s always been striving to be recognized for his achievements. He had never once truly considered that he would be recognized for infamy. He wondered for a while, were all young men without influential fathers in his life like him? Were other young men so emotionally fraught with the need to be cherished?  
  
He regret it. All of it. He wished as he stood at the doorway of this cell, that he could have just been an ordinary teenager. None of this sleuthing. None of this criminal justice. Why couldn’t he have attended high school. Joined clubs. Dated girls who weren’t going to keep his interest for more than a few weeks (maybe dated a boy here and there if he was feeling adventurous). He could have focused more on making his mother proud instead of. Instead of. Instead of.   
  
He loathed the idea of referring to Shido Masayoshi as his father now. Knowing that the man had not once seen him as anything more than a tool. A puppet. He likely would have thought of him even less had he known all along that Goro was his son. Not only a puppet. But a disappointment.

He ached. God, how Goro ached. His muscles. His stomach. His entire body and soul ached from the sheer weight of his actions. He was a murdered. A monster. A tool. Nothing but a waste and a failure for himself. For his mother. His allies. His. . .friends? Did he have any? Could he consider them his friends. . .

He thought a moment. His eyes close and he throws himself back to those last moments. The words of encouragement. The reassurance that his struggle is understood. The promise of help.

He was a disappointment.

“I let them down, didn’t I?” he asks quietly. “I was never supposed to betray them, was I? The universe wanted me to be their ally, didn’t it?”

“Maybe you’ll find out.” Lavenza offers yet another smile to him, still encouraging him to leave.

He knows now that this is something he experiences almost daily. His mind is becoming clear and he processes it all. It’s been several months that he’s been locked inside here. Of his own free will. He remembers being caught in between life and death and the gentle voice of Lavenza reaching out to him, guiding him to the Velvet Room. He recalls her being surprised that he would choose the very same design for his room as the Trickster had. She had said how their hearts were far more similar than they had ever expected.  
  
He had been there for months. And each day (or what appeared to be a new day) Lavenza would make a point of trying to coax him from the cell. He would awake with no memories of the previous exchanges. No idea where he was. No idea who she was. Or what had transpired between them on prior occasions.

Goro looks at her, and she appears hopeful.

His breath becomes caught in his chest, his eyes closing once more as he lifts his leg. A bare foot steps out on to the cool, pale tile of the main floor of the Velvet Room.  
  
It is only cool for a moment before light engulfs him, and his feet become clad in the dress shoes he had once been familiar with. White attire wraps around him – a harlequin like costume that he’d worn in palaces – takes form and upon his face a red, leather mask with an elongated nose. He raises his hands, studying the gloves that had slipped over his fingers. A veritable thief, yet again.

“The name Crow was most appropriate for you,” Lavenza says with a smile. “Crows are highly intelligent, and they never forget those who have helped them, and caused them harm. While they might be symbolic of negativity and death, one must also consider the positives about them. The crow also stands for personal transformation and grappling with ones destiny. And like our previous resident – they are Tricksters.”

“And just what does this mean for me?” Goro says lowly, tearing his gaze away from his hands. “Trickster or not, I still have blood on my hands.”

“You need simply shed the blood from your palms, and then the transformation can begin anew,” She leads Goro out a bit further from the cell and reaches toward his hands. She holds them moment before pinching the fabric of them. He pauses, watching momentarily. He does not recall ever having red gloves. Hadn’t they always been white? Lavenza tugs gently, and removes the gloves off of Goro’s hands, and then drops them on to the open pages of her book. The pages shine momentarily before she closes the book on them. There’s the sound of glass shattering, causing him to flinch.

“What did you – “

“Keep them clean.”

 

* * *

 

 

He jolts up. He doesn’t recall being in his head. But suddenly, he’s back home. He’s in his bedroom, and his arms are rubbing at his arms, frantically staring around. He swears he was just locked within the Velvet Room. He knows he was. But here he is. In his bedroom. Goro pats at his chest – he’s been sweating and it’s soaked through his pajama top. He doesn’t realize how much he’s been panting since he woke up, but he takes note of how his heart is racing.

It doesn’t take long before his phone has blown up with messages. Many people, confidants of Shido’s, contacting him about what they’re going to do now that Shido has confessed to these crimes. Goro reads them over. There is no indication among any message that he is being suspected of any misbehavior. He does not have the time to process most of the messages. But there are a few standing out.

Shido Masayoshi, using cognitive psience, has admitted to utilizing a system known as the Metaverse to be the cause of the mental breakdowns occurring among citizens and politicians alike. Goro opens a video on his phone that he has been sent. It’s a confession of Shido’s from what appears to be the previous nights news broadcast.

“ _I must admit, that I am solely responsible for the psychotic breakdowns that have plagued our great nation over the past year._ ” Goro listens intently, watching the interview for a few moments before his phone begins to ring again.  
  
Niijima Sae, reads the caller I.D., and his stomach twists. He fears what this conversation could be able. He doesn’t want to answer. For once, he feels vulnerable. Exposed. He waits a moment and lets the call go to voicemail before he listens to it.  
  
“ _Akechi-kun, please don’t be alarmed by this call, but I’m sending you a warning that you will most likely be questioned in regards to Shido Masayoshi’s confession. It may be best if you go into hiding like we suggested a few weeks ago. You know where to meet the others_.”

It’s December twentieth. Goro, as far as he’s concerned, has been dead for a week. He has lost a week of time, and in that time, he has somehow been accepted as one of the Phantom Thieves again. He holds his phone in his hands – the Metaverse app is no longer present – and hesitantly calls Niijima-san back. He waits, allowing the phone to ring, but he feels as if time has gone on for an eternity when she finally answers.

“Niijima-san.” He croaks out, surprised to hear his own voice. “I need you to explain something to me.”

“ _Akechi-kun, we’ve already reviewed where you should head –“_

He interrupts her. “Niijima-san, what have I done this past week? Where have I been?” He feels his chest tighten, and his breath escape in a stammer.

“ _What are you talking about? Is everything alright? You’ve been strange ever since we had you assist in faking Kurusu-kun’s death._ _Wait – you’re not being threatened right now, are you? I’m coming to help. Stay put._ ”

She hangs up. Goro doesn’t have a chance to wait for any instruction or explanation. Instead, he’s left sitting in his bed, trying to comprehend precisely what he is experiencing. He is awake. He knows he is. This is no dream, and surely, he is not dead. Akechi Goro is alive.  
  
And the universe rewound for him.

Still clad in pajamas, Goro slips out of his bed and throws open his closet and begins to gather the essentials. He can’t stay here. Especially if he’s still alive. Especially if. . .He isn’t responsible. He knows how to stay calm, but he can’t keep himself going in such a way. Not for much longer. He clenches a fist, and a loud cry of “Damn it!” escapes him. “What the hell is going on?!”

He grasps at his head, tugging at the hair of his scalp, shaking it back and forth. He doesn’t know anything anymore. He can’t explain why or how he is alive still, but.

“ _My Master has approved your chance for rehabilitation._ ” He hears a soft tingling of a bell, and from within his closet, a small, pale blue butterfly sits on bar which his clothes hung upon. Lavenza’s voice echoes gently around him. “ _Time has been turned back, and your deeds placed upon another. You have been given this opportunity, but play your cards carefully as you are still a piece to Yaldabaoth in this world. It is up to you, and the rebellious spirit that lays within, to resist your fate and overcome the odds. Do not be led astray_.”

The butterfly’s wings flicker and it flies off into nothingness, leaving Goro with only the faintest of explanations. He turns, trying to see if he could chase after the insect, but he’s left alone in his apartment with nothing else to speak of.

Goro hears his phone go off again. Not a call. Not an email. Just a simple message.

It’s a red icon. Of his antithesis. It reads only one thing:

 

“ _Welcome back_.”

 


	2. Black Coffee, Brown Attic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which author info dumps in the exposition so everyone knows what's going on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY SO PEOPLE LIKE THIS APPARENTLY.  
> And I had to try and mash together all the loose ends of my headcanon in a short period of time.  
> I'm still working on some of them, but I think. I THINK I got it. I think I got what I'm trying to convey.
> 
> UM ALSO JUST GONNA ADD THAT I WROTE MOST OF THIS WITHOUT EDITING SO I APOLOGIZE IF THERE'S MAJOR CONTINUITY ERRORS IN MY EXPLANATIONS. I'LL PROBABLY FIX IT WHEN I WAKE UP TOMORROW. Anyways yeah, have fun. I love you all.
> 
> (Also just gonna queitly add. This fic is implied Shuake. Probably not just implied.)

Niijima Sae arrives outside his apartment only a short while after he receives the cryptic message. He knows the familiar form of verbiage that came from his opposition, but he won’t address the greeting until he has further proof. When Sae arrives at his door, he stands there with a single overnight bag and his laptop stored in its bag, which he promptly hands to her. She seems surprised at how quickly he has himself together.

“I don’t need to explain to you that you’re likely going to have to go into hiding, I presume.” She informs him as he slides past her wordlessly.

“I would like to know where you’ll be taking me.” He states coolly.

“Exactly where we’ve had Akira stationed since we took action.” She says, taking the overnight bag from Goro’s hands.

“Leblanc?” He asks, a brow quirked as he retrieves his phone again, noting the message once more. “Is he expecting me?”

“Naturally. We could only keep your short term disappearance hidden for so long. Turns out one can’t just lay low at home and avoid school for a few days.” Goro reads over the ‘ _Welcome back._ ’ on his phone once more. He isn’t sure what to make of it. Make of all it really. “That being said, we need to get you out of here as quickly and quietly as possible. I’ll be driving you rather than letting you take the train, since you need to remain out of the public eye. Is everything crucial with your person?”

“Everything I could think of.” He couldn’t think much, to be truthful. His brain was far too wrought with the mere confusion of what was transpiring. For the time being he would simply have to roll with it. He would find out everything eventually. . .wouldn’t he?

Sae doesn’t have to say more and he’s already hiding himself in her shadow as they slip from the apartment. She advises him to leave the door locked, even though it was obvious his apartment would be searched. A forced entry would give the courts better grounds should he take anyone to court. They’re stealthy as they slip into her car and the engine roars to life. Her windows are tinted, much to Goro’s relief as she pulls out of the lot and begins the drive.

“Niijima-san.” Goro says almost as soon as he can be sure that she’s focused on the road, as well as his presence. “I’m going to be blunt with you, but I don’t exactly recall what I’ve been doing the past month or so.”

He glances toward him briefly as the car accelerates. “What do you mean by that?”

He’s quick to formulate an idea to get answers. He’s always been quick. And in this situation it seems to be aiding him well. “I woke up, and I don’t recall anything. Last I can remember, I –“ He swallows, taking a half-second to choose his words carefully. “I had infiltrated the Phantom Thieves in order to destroy them from the inside.”

“Are you saying you don’t know anything since then?” She swears under her breath. “Looks like the others will have to re-brief you on most of it. All I can attest to, is I heard something from them about having caught on to your plan, and changing your heart for the better.”

“Pardon?” Goro raises his hand and clutches at his chest, gazing downward. He’s almost amused by the clothing he chose to wear for slipping out. Normally he would’ve made sure he wore something a bit more presentable, but a crumpled t-shirt, and a pair of somewhat ill-fitting jeans were his choices that morning. Thankfully there were more. . .stylish options in his overnight bag, but he was almost embarrassed by his attire. “My heart was changed?”

Sae accelerates again, and turns the signal on her car to switch lanes. It’s clear to Goro at that moment she’s trying to get him out of there as fast as possible. Perhaps she’s spotted an unmarked car on their tail. “Like I said, I don’t know all the details, but that seems to be what they had done. You had appeared on television sometime back in November and announced you were confessing your unwavering support of the Phantom Thieves. That you had reconsidered their approach, and you truly had reason to believe that Okumura’s death was entirely coincidental.”

Goro reaches toward his head, holding it a moment as a throbbing ache takes control over him. He truly did remember appearing on television, but he had never mentioned unwavering support. He did announce his belief of the Phantom Thieves innocence in regards to Okumura’s death (of course they were innocent! He was the one who killed him, wasn’t he?!) “. . .That does seem to suggest a change of heart, doesn’t it? Are you sure that that’s truly what it was? And that I wasn’t just trying to make the Phantom Thieves suspect I was coming around?”

Sae laughs a bit. “Considering you had already infiltrated their ranks by that point, and earned some of their trust. I think the change of heart just solidified your position with them. Besides, they have your treasure, from what I’ve heard?”

He looks up, surprised to hear such a phrase. “I-I had a treasure too?”

“If you had a palace, you have a treasure – I never found out what mine was, so I don’t know if you’ll ever find out yours. Perhaps you could ask, but it might not be for the best.” The car jerks suddenly, causing Goro to slide in his seat and not-so-gently hit the side of the door. Sae swears a little and quickly takes them off the freeway. “Alright, I think that got them off us –“

“Someone was following us, wasn’t there?” Goro notes, having suspected correctly. “Seems I’m a wanted man, aren’t I?”

“If only because you can be questioned in regards to Shido’s actions.” Sae assures him as she takes a couple of hasty turns down back streets, in order to throw off their followers a little more in the event someone had slipped off behind her. “If they question you now, you’ll be exposed as a Phantom Thief most likely, as will the others. Especially after your confession, most of the general public believes you to be among them.”

“We need to go back to that,” Goro says, interrupting her. “Explain to me what happened after my apparent change of heart, if I’m going to understand anything I need to know more about that. Did I confess to being the cause behind the mental shutdowns? Because I can assure you, if I hadn’t said anything about that –“

“Not a word. Besides. Shido confessed to being responsible for those, in the same way the Phantom Thieves were responsible for their actions.” Sae pauses a moment, and Goro’s hands are holding his skull once more. His head shakes back and forth as he stares into his lap.

“Niijima-san, that – that can’t be possible. Shido never had access to the Metaverse.” He chokes. “No, no, he had me enter the Metaverse, and had me kill the Shadows in every palace. That’s what caused them. It’s the same with Okumura. I was the one who did that too – this doesn’t make any sense! Why is he confessing to crimes that I was responsible for!”

The car screeches to a halt. Not due to Goro’s outburst, but because of their arrival location. Sae looks him over, her expression surprisingly soft for a prosecutor. Her lips have formed into a thin, worried frown as she reaches out, her hand lightly resting upon Goro’s shoulder. “I don’t know where you got this idea from,” she says. “Maybe Shido put the idea in your head – but the others have proof that you never did anything like that.”

Sae’s hand leaves his shoulder and steps out of the car, allowing him a moment to gather himself. Goro sits there in silence, his mind replaying the past years events in his heads like a film reel. He had these explicit memories of infiltrating palaces, and with Loki’s aid, assassinating anyone who might have been a threat to Shido’s journey to prime minister. He remembered holding people at gun point as they pleaded and scoffing as he pulled the trigger. He remembered the cries of various officials as they asked him what the hell he thought he was doing. He remembered, the absolute delight that overcame him when he heard about the shutdowns the same people experienced in the real world, that ultimately lead to their death. There was no way this sadism was fictitious. Even now there was a flutter of glee as he recalled the way Okumura had been groveling as the Phantom Thieves left his collapsing palace. How he was so blissfully unaware of Goro stepping up behind him and firing into his skull.

 

* * *

 

His head throbs and Goro lets out a groan of pain as one of those memories seems to glitch in his mind. He doesn’t remember who the man on the floor is, but he’s huddled up, holding himself as protectively as possible, and his voice is murmuring pleas. He’s telling Goro to take the treasure and go, just to let him live. But another voice, a gruffer, angrier and scheming voice replaces Goro’s before he can get a word out.

“ _And just what will happen if we leave your treasure but take your life instead?”_  
  
The man on the floor murmurs that he doesn’t know, he just knows he doesn’t want to die. He wants to continue his life, and he’ll change his ways and do whatever Goro and his company want. He looks to his side, and there is someone standing there. A taller man, balding with neatly trimmed facial hair. He does not wear a costume as the Metaverse seems to require. After all, he’s such a well known, upstanding politician, he has nothing to hide. He’s well loved, and well respected.

“ _I guess we’ll just have to see, won’t we?_ ” He sneers, snatching the gun from Goro’s hand and firing at the man on the floor. Once, twice – three times. And the man lays still, and blood spills from his head. His eyes remain open, glassy, gold eyes staring at nothing but the floor ahead. Goro wonders momentarily if his head is still active.

“ _Why did you do that?”_ Goro asks, his voice shaking as he stares the man – no, Shido Masayoshi – over as he tucks the gun into his jacket.

“ _You know why_.” Shido replies, turning around as the entire building begins to tremor and shake, bits of debris falling from the ceiling around them. “ _Now let’s leave before we end up like him.”_

* * *

 

Goro jerks his mind back to reality, mostly due to Sae tapping on his window to get his attention. He can still see her through the tinted glass and the same, concerned frown is woven over her features. “Akechi-kun.” She says. “Are you alright? We ought to get inside before we’re found again.” He nods, reaching into the backseat where he had thrown his belongings and steps out of the car.  
  
He’s tired. He doesn’t know what that memory was, but. Was it, a replacement memory? Was it his actions as performed in this universe?

Had he not killed that first victim?

 

Leblanc is familiar as always, although the chair he usually prefers is currently occupied by Sakamoto Ryuji, who has taken to lounging in it a bit too casually for Goro’s liking. There’s a few turned heads when the door jingles upon his entrance. But none of the expressions appear sour or unwelcoming. They’re faces of relief, and reassurance that their man on the inside was safe. Most of them, including the groups leader, all appear momentarily preoccupied looking something up on their phones.

He still couldn’t quite wrap his head around the idea.

“There’s the man of the hour,” the man at the bar, (Sakura Sojiro, if Goro recalls correctly) announces as he turns around to select one of the many selections of beans behind him. “You mentioned being a fan of the Peruvian dark roast, didn’t you?” Much to Goro’s surprise, Sojiro is correct.

“Ah, th-that’s right. Thank you.” Goro replies rather pleasantly, but not without the faint stammer in his voice going unnoticed.

“Speak. We gotta talk some things over.”

Kurusu Akira has turned around in the booth he’s seated in and makes eye contact with Goro, nodding and gesturing at one of the other open bar stools. There’s no time for idle chatter among the teenagers, they need to plan their next move before any of them are discovered. Goro sits, but not before he pulls out his phone to a surprise vibration.  
  
Once more, in red text, from none other than Akira himself reads another text:

 _“I know what’s going on_. _I can explain later. Play along for now._ ”

Goro looks up, briefly making eye contact with Akira who offers him the shortest of nods before he slips his phone away. He clears his throat, feeling the anxious lump he’s been afflicted with this entire day grow thicker. “Pardon me,” he announces calmly. “But might I suggest a recap, considering everything we’ve been through recently? It would be nice to make sure we’re all understanding our current situation without anyone being unsure of ourselves. After all, we do need to reach unanimous decisions, do we not?” He notices a smirk perk up on Akira’s face before Niijima Makoto speaks up.

“I agree. It would be best to make sure none of us are confused or concerned about our next steps. It would help especially since Akechi has been in and out of hiding since his change of heart.”

He decides to wait before suggesting short term amnesia. Taking a moment to assess the situation and determine his course of action is what he does best. Should he need to take the amnesia route, that would be acceptable. But for now. Goro glances about, momentarily meeting gazes with Sae who offers him a quizzical stare. She is still very aware of Goro’s comment about memory loss on the ride to Leblanc, but she appears to understand his suggestion to the remaining Phantom Thieves.

 

The story deviates entirely from what he thought he knew. From his own experiences. As it were, initially, Goro had indeed infiltrated the Phantom Thieves, solely with the intention of killing Kurusu Akira, and thus ending their run. However, there is a drastic turn from what he remembers. Halfway into the exploration of Niijima Sae’s palace (still, as per Goro’s suggestion), the Phantom Thieves had caught on to his plan, due to Sakura Futaba’s hack on his phone. She had managed to listen in on a number of phone calls Goro had had with Shido Masayoshi, and discovered his hesitance to kill another teenager. (He was shocked to hear them mention that he had expressed anxiety over the idea of killing anyone at all. ‘I can aid in sabotage and deal in information, but taking a life is out of the question.’ He had heard Futaba quote him.) These conversations were enough that the team had unanimously decided to investigate Goro’s own palace. He wished he could have seen it – apparently it was this grand theater with lovely music playing and crowds whispering and chattering about how excited they were to see Goro’s performance. He decided not to pry about the treasure. Sae had made it rather clear to him to avoid the topic.

It was the discussion of his shadow that gripped his interest. His shadow was very much not the calm, charming socialite he aired about in public. According to his fellow teens he seemed rather pitiful. (Embarrassing was the word Ryuji had used, but Goro wasn’t about to get angry. Not at that moment of course). He was decked out in regal attire, almost like the actual prince he was regarded as. But he was an emotional mess. He cried and moaned and apologized for being alive. He lamented his very existence and from what it appeared – he did not fight the Phantom Thieves. He simply stepped aside and gestured to the glowing mass that was his treasure. (“Please. Fix me.” Is what he practically heard in his head, imagining the very situation.)  
  
And that was when he arrived at Leblanc the next day, to find himself being handed a Calling Card by the entirety of the Phantom Thieves.  
  
(“Your shadow, in your palace, asked us to.” Futaba had said. “I did the same thing, so. Let them help you, okay?!”)

And then it started to unfold to where they were now. Goro appeared on television a few days later and admitted to his unwavering support. And then approached the Phantom Thieves with renewed vigor, now able to view them as not only allies – but friends (who would have guessed). But this also meant that in due time, he was going to have to go into hiding. And sooner rather than later, as he would be a high target on Shido Masayoshi’s list of people to take out. It was then that an idea was formulated that his supposed change of heart was an act. Goro had already proven to many people his ability to wear a façade in front of the media, and proceeded to use his change of heart claims as a means of assisting Akira in faking his death.  
  
(“It was all an effort to lure them into a false sense of security, letting them think they had actually changed my heart.” He imagined himself saying this, and it wasn’t far from how he had experienced it either.)

For a short period, this allowed him to live without risk of being detained. Only a short period however. He had to continue to remain shocked when the Phantom Thieves revealed Akira was still alive. It was all devised to keep the public quiet about them while they infiltrated Shido’s palace. But yet.  
  
It was shortly before the joined together to invade his palace that Goro had discovered he could no longer enter the Metaverse on his own. No one was able to pinpoint precisely why, but they had come to an agreement. He would not be allowed to join them, even as an aid. Entering Shido’s palace was an almost guaranteed way to assure Goro’s death.  
  
(But it had, at least once.)

And now, with Shido’s change of heart, and the publics lack of reaction, they were faced with a new course of action. Protecting Goro from the public, and looking into just precisely why nothing had changed.

* * *

 

“I think,” Goro says after the re-briefing. “I may as well come clean, but I woke up this morning without any real recollection of the past few months. So I appreciate your willingness to explain our situation.” He offers the Phantom Thieves a smile as they begin to look back and forth at one another.

“Nothing?” Ryuji is the one who speaks up. “Come on man, that seems a bit unlikely.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Morgana chimes in, hopping up on to the table. “If I can freely access the Metaverse and have suddenly lost my memories, who’s to say Akechi can’t lose them either?”

His phone buzzes and Goro takes a moment to glances at it while the others are debating.

“ _Now is when you play along._ ”  
  
He catches Akira pocketing his phone.

“That does seem likely,” Goro adds, playing off Morgana’s words, wondering if perhaps he knows something as well. “And considering I was not able to access Shido’s palace, perhaps it’s more than just coincidence, but closer to someone actively tampering with me.”

“Do you really think someone could use the Metaverse to modify someone’s memories?” Makoto suggests, her gaze falling upon Morgana. “It would make sense considering we already know someone who has limited memories too.”

“Perhaps Shido was involved in changing his memories. Is it possible for us to change memories, not just hearts?” Yusuke is the one to speak next, sounding positively concerned. “Could we have possibly just rearranged people’s memories instead?”

“I’m not sure about that.” Morgana says. “It seems most likely that since Shido’s got so much of Wakaba’s research on his side, he might have stumbled upon something we can’t even imagine.”

“Then why would he use it now?” Goro asks. “On me of all people?”

“Likely as a test subject. We know now that he didn’t think too much of you in the first place, so it seems probable that he wanted to see if he could break his puppets memories than use it on anyone else.” Akira adds, flashing Goro a faint smirk.

“And that would explain why he didn’t go around using this new information on people who opposed him. He wanted to make sure it would work on someone that he could neither lose nor gain from.” Haru speaks up eagerly. “And it would make sense why he didn’t simply use it on Principal Kobayakawa or anyone else who got in his way.”

“Right, just changing memories around doesn’t fit the Phantom Thief M.O. so he’d have no reason to use something like that if he was trying to use Goro against us.” Ann agrees to the conversation and then grabs at her head, shaking it back and forth as blond pigtails nearly smack Ryuji in the face. “Argh, there’s just so much going on, and we still don’t know anything substantial!”

The conversation goes on for another hour or so, mostly discussions about what Shido might have to gain from using this information on changing memories to his advantage. Of course, Goro can’t exactly speak for much of it. He knows why he has no memory of it all, and from the looks of things. Akira and Morgana know why as well.

It’s around three in the afternoon when they finally come to the consensus to break for the day. They would gather together the next day to better plan their course of action. The afternoon was far too occupied with the idea of Shido’s previously unknown information in regards to the Metaverse, and Goro’s memory loss. Nothing of value could truly be discussed. Not right away. They would pick up the next day.  


* * *

 

 

Sae and Makoto are the last to leave (aside for Futaba who has been put to work by Sojiro behind the counter). Goro is to stay with Akira at Leblanc until further notice and ignore any phone calls or messages from anyone he doesn’t recognize. His location settings need to be shut off at all times, and should anyone try to tamper with his phone, he’s to dispose of it. His safety, and by extension Akira’s, are the utmost priority.

“Have Akira call me if anything happens. I don’t want you to make any outgoing calls.” Sae suggests as she starts to get into her car, Makoto now replacing Goro in the passenger seat. “I’ll be back later in the week to see how things are going.”

As they pull off, Goro and Akira are left standing together as the vehicle vanishes into the small streets of Yongen Jaya. His fists clench, and he feels practically embarrassed now that he has a moment to process it all. “What the –“ he begins but Akira simply turns around and starts to head into Leblanc.

“Upstairs.” He says. “Not out here.”

When they enter, Sojiro and Futaba are already leaving from behind the counter. “Want me to lock up behind me?” he asks as the two boys step past him.

“Probably for the best,” Akira says. “Even if they do manage to track him here they won’t get very far with the high tech security system of Leblanc Coffee and Curry.”

“Hilarious.” Sojiro scoffs, rolling his eyes. “Maybe I should leave Futaba out front. She’d probably scare off anyone before they even try the door.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Futaba yelps, annoyed. “Not tonight! New shows are on tonight, and you’re crazy if you think I’m gonna miss _any_ of the juicy details.” She flashes a grin at Akira, her eyes glinting.

“You’re not listening in on us.” Akira counters. “I’ll leave the phones downstairs if I have to.”

Futaba grabs at her chest, feigning shock. “I’m hurt you’d think that I’d do something like that!” she gasps, her lower lip sticking out in a pout.

“I wouldn’t put it past you,” Goro adds, laughing warmly. “Considering you’ve done it to me a number of times. I think for safety purposes, and not just the ones issued from Niijima-san, I’ll be leaving my phone downstairs tonight.”

It’s after this exchange that Sojiro and Futaba finally exit the café, leaving Akira, Goro and Morgana alone. Their departure gives Akira the clearance to go upstairs, Goro following behind him angrily.

It’s only seconds later that Goro has withdrawn a handgun, tucked away against his back this entire time, and aimed it directly at Akira. He sneers, eyes fiery and almost hateful. His spare hand clenches into a fist, and his aim is hardly steady as he attempts to keep his arm straight and his weapon focused on his antithesis.

“Tell me _what the hell is going on!_?” he shouts. Neither Akira or Morgana seem phased by the outburst or the weapon directed at them. “ _What do you know?!_ ”

Akira calmly lifts his hands up as he stands before Goro, Morgana jumping from his shoulders to hop on to the bed in the corner. “That’s a vague question. I know basic calculus. Did you want some tutoring? Or did you want to know about you coming back from the dead?”

“How do you know!?” Goro shouts again, his hand trembling around the weapon. “Stop with the games, Kurusu – why am I alive?! You know, don’t you?!”

He’s lost his calm. He knows he has. He’s not afraid to show this weakness to Akira. He knows that the two of them have a unified bond, even if he is on the verge of firing a bullet into the leader of the Phantom Thieves.

“Of course I do.” Akira says, stepping out of the line of fire to sit on the small sofa by his television. “Put the gun down and maybe I’ll tell you. I don’t want bullet holes in Sojiro’s attic. Or in my body for that matter.”

His entire body trembles and shakes before he slowly lowers the gun and sets it on the table. Both hands are clenched now and he sits on the couch next to Akira before Morgana comes over to join them, seated on the floor instead.

“We were given a job, actually.” Morgana adds, lifting his paw up and cleaning it off. “We can’t give you _all_ the details yet, because it’ll affect how your destiny plays out.”

He narrows his eyes, half tempted to reach for the weapon once more. “Get on with it, please.”

“Sometime in March, after I went home – don’t get lost here, alright? – I had a dream about the Velvet Room again. I’d stopped going there after I’d finished my,” Akira raises his hands and makes air quotations. “Rehabilitation. But I arrived, full costume with my cell open and Igor asked me if I was willing to save someone that I couldn’t save.”

“Oh, oh, yeah – and this was when you got to see what I really look like, wasn’t it?” Morgana butts in momentarily, sounding really excited. “Yeah, too bad you probably won’t get to see, but I was right! I do have a human form! Sort of. . .But just in the Velvet Room!”

“Continue.” Goro says, momentarily putting Morgana’s excitement on hold.

“So.” Akira resumes, pushing up his glasses. “I asked if he meant you. And I was right. I asked what the stakes were. And well, it was pretty hefty – return to the point in time before you were beyond saving and change your heart before you were lost to the game. Igor kinda explained it that. You and I were both pawns on a chessboard. He and Yaldabaoth were the Kings. So, in chess when a pawn reaches the other side of the board it becomes King right? So. My piece became a king after we succeeded in our last job, but your piece was still on the board. Just a pawn.”

“Why does everything always come down to chess, and cards?” Goro interrupts briefly, before allowing Akira to continue.

“Beats me. But anyways, yeah. So my piece. My King, I guess. Was instructed by the previous King, to offer to save the other sides remaining pawn. And in this case, that’s you. On the original board. My piece eventually took yours before becoming King. But Igor asked me – do I want to help the other pawn become King as well. And well.”

He offers Goro a faint smile, and it clicks in his head that it’s a truly genuine smile.

“You time-traveled to save me.” Goro confirms.

“Something like that.” Morgana says, stretching out. “The ideal outcome of the game, which was super slim to begin with, was that both enemy pawns would realize their potential together. The Hero would eventually realize that he too was a Trickster, and both of them would turn on the game master. So in this situation, all that needs to be done is that we save the world as we know it again, but this time, we need you there too.”

“And so why exactly is it that you even wanted to come and save me after I already died once for you?” Goro rolls his eyes, showing some of his genuine displeasure with the situation. “Didn’t I make things hard enough on you already? Please, take a moment to consider what you’ve done. You have given up on saving the entire human race in favor of saving _my_ miserable existence. Me, Akechi Goro, the hideous waste of human flesh who sacrificed every last drop of his energy to be recognized for something he could never achieve. You gave up your success in favor of me. If I can be so bold, but – _what the hell is your problem_?”

“Because you meant it.” Akira’s response is quick as he stands up and approaches the other side of the room where an additional blanket and pile of pillows was resting. “When you were trying to save us before in Shido’s palace. In the original universe, you truly did mean it. You wanted to save us, and we wanted to save you.”

“Truth be told,” Morgana says. “Igor informed us that the only way that we could save you, was if all the hearts of the Phantom Thieves were in unanimous agreement. All our hearts had to agree that you needed to be saved.” He laughs a bit as Akira drops the pile of blankets on Goro’s lap.

“I know it’s early, but just hold on to these for later.” He says, sitting back down next to him. “I know it all sounds convoluted and weird. But. Well, I’ve learned to stop questioning it. I’ve made peace with the fact I’m supposed to be this twisted savior of humanity, and as said twisted savior of humanity, that means all humans. Including you. You giant, enormous asshole.”


End file.
